Drug Alert – Lamisil:Readers’ alert: Drug side-effects

Did Lamisil cause my high cholesterol? I am 5 foot 3 inches tall, weigh 8 stone 10 pounds, don’t smoke, follow a healthy diet (I am vegetarian most days), take daily supplements and exercise regularly – I even enjoy a five-mile walk at weekends.

So, you can imagine my surprise when I got the results of a blood test back and discovered my cholesterol had shot up from 4.9 to 7.5! This change appears to have happened since I started taking Lamisil tablets for a finger fungus infection. Could Lamisil be to blame for my sudden high cholesterol?

I am extremely worried about this as my mother has recently suffered several heart attacks and is in extremely poor health. There is no way I will take any cholesterol-lowering medication after reading your publication, but I’m at a bit of a loss for alternative solutions. – Magi Hobbs, Southend-On-Sea

WDDTY says: For natural ways to reduce your cholesterol, see our Special Report in WDDTY vol 15 no 2. To summarise the main points:

• Eat a Mediterranean diet and avoid a high dairy intake
  
• Avoid high-glycaemic, processed foods
  
• Stop smoking
  
• Eat nuts
  
• Avoid hydrogenated fats and trans fatty acids, found in most processed food, especially margarine
  
• Consume foods rich in flavonoid antioxidants – these include brightly coloured fresh fruits and vegetables, grape juice, green tea, red wine
  
• Aim to get two-and-a-half servings of wholegrains every day
  
• Exercise regularly – which you already do
  
• Supplement with coenzyme Q10 (10-30 mg/day for general prevention; 200-400 mg/day as therapy).